Meet Candice
Candice C. Cusic is an internationally award-winning Chicago pet and family photographer, animal communicator, and former Pulitzer Prize–winning photojournalist. With more than 40 years of visual storytelling experience, she brings depth, intuition, and emotional intelligence to her signature Moment-Driven Photography™—a style devoted to capturing the soul and true personality of pets and the people who love them.
A pioneer in combining fine-art pet portraiture with intuitive animal communication, Candice creates calm, meaningful photography experiences for families and pet parents who value connection over posing. Her portraits are known for their honesty, quiet power, and ability to reveal the unspoken bond that makes pets family.
Beyond her private commissions, Candice is the creator of The See Hear Love Project™, a first-of-its-kind storytelling initiative that pairs photography and animal communication to help shelter and foster animals be seen, heard, and adopted. At the heart of her work is a simple belief: every animal deserves to be understood, and every story deserves to be told.
Want to learn more?
Chicago Pet Photographer
One of the best things about photographing Ramona is watching everyone react to a pig in the building.
People stopped.
They smiled.
They took selfies.
One gentleman asked if I could wait so he could FaceTime his girlfriend because she loves pigs.
The hardest thing about photographing a pig is that pigs don`t stop moving.
Ever.
This portrait worked because Ramona kept walking in circles, allowing us to see her body and face at the same time.
Not shown: Ramona chewed up the paper backdrop on set. Her pig squeal echoed through the studio—loud, proud, and impossible to ignore, just like Ramona herself.
"Thank you
for saving my life."
— Ramona
The See Hear Love Project combines professional photography and animal communication. Each portrait is paired with one of the most powerful messages the animal shared during their communication session.
Seen. Heard. Loved.
@chicagolandpigrescue
#TheSeeHearLoveProject #RescuePig #SeenHeardLoved
Some dogs don’t just fit into a family — they become part of its heartbeat.
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Eddie was pure joy to photograph with his two favorite people. The connection between them was effortless, loving, and completely real.
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These are the moments worth remembering.
Meet Zeno.
After being surrendered by his owner, Zeno has spent more than a year waiting at Red Door Animal Shelter for someone to choose him.
And somehow, after all this time, he’s still soft. Still trusting. Still hopeful.
Cats like Zeno don’t need perfection. They just need someone willing to see them.
Seen. Heard. Loved.
📍 Red Door Animal Shelter
🐾 Available for adoption
Meet Zeno.
After being surrendered by his owner, Zeno has spent more than a year waiting at Red Door Animal Shelter for someone to choose him.
And somehow, after all this time, he’s still soft. Still trusting. Still hopeful.
Cats like Zeno don’t need perfection. They just need someone willing to see them.
Seen. Heard. Loved.
📍 Red Door Animal Shelter
🐾 Available for adoption
Welcome to The See Hear Love Project™.
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Created by Chicago photographer and animal communicator Candice C. Cusic, this one-of-a-kind project combines animal communication and fine-art portraiture to help foster animals be seen, heard, and adopted.
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Each story begins with connection.
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Seen. Heard. Loved.
Honored to speak with WGN’s Spotlight Chicago about The See Hear Love Project™ — a one-of-a-kind series combining animal communication and fine-art portraiture to help foster animals be seen, heard, and adopted.
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Seen. Heard. Loved.
“I have a bed and a blanket now.”
She didn’t always.
This is Tootsie.
Available for adoption at @hinsdalehumanesociety
The See Hear Love Project™
Our location
Located in downtown Chicago.
1821 W. Hubbard St., Chicago, IL 60622
By appointment only
info@cusicphoto.com
Available for travel internationally, for pets & family photography, and education for photographers. Send us a note for details or reach us by phone at 312-248-2939.
